Deschutes news: Ad agency, new distribution in Pennsylvania

Following a three-month review, Deschutes Brewery of Bend, Ore. has named TDA Boulder as its advertising agency of record. Other review participants and budget are undisclosed. The incumbent was North of Portland, Ore. Besides advertising, TDA will also be responsible for a brand I.D. overhaul, including packaging, as the brewery continues to expand its distribution eastward. First work, for Deschutes’ flagship Black Butte Porter, will break later this year.

Selection was managed by marketing director Jeff Billingsley, who stated, “TDA has a proven track record of helping clients overcome business challenges very similar to what we’re facing at Deschutes. They came in and challenged the conventions of beer marketing, and more specifically, how craft brands are being marketed. Their pragmatic approach, combined with great creative talent, is precisely what we need for the next phase of our evolution. Perhaps most important, it was clear that we share very similar cultural values, which is going to be extremely beneficial as TDA helps to codify our brand story.”

Deschutes Brewery is the nation’s 12h largest brewer (fifth largest craft brewer), with annual production of 285,000+ barrels (bbls). Its beers are currently available in 25 mostly western states and two provinces. East of the Mississippi, Deschutes is now available in Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania, and will launch in Wisconsin and Michigan later this year.

TDA_Boulder, in Boulder, Colo., is a strategically focused agency with $30 million billings from clients including, among others, Deschutes Brewery, FirstBank, Noodles & Company, General Mills, French’s (condiments) and Patagonia.

In addition, Deschutes Brewery announced a distribution deal that will cover Central and Southern Regions of Pennsylvania starting the week of March 24. The brewery will be working with Wilsbach Distributors in Dauphin, Lebanon, Cumberland, Perry, Juaniata and Mifflin counties, while simultaneously launching the brands with Ace Distributing in Adams, York, Franklin, Fulton and Lancaster counties.

Deschutes Brewery recently completed an expansion at its main facility in Bend, with a total of 10 new 1,300-bbl fermentation tanks. When all the new tanks are utilized, the brewery will have the capacity to brew more than 460,000 bbls annually to fill demand in its expanding distribution footprint.